Rooftop Letter Gibbs Thoughts
by Taliesin The Eternal Bard
Summary: Jethro contemplates life with out his love Caitlin "Kate" Todd. What will Ziva do when she finds out that she her missing daughter has been living less than five miles apart.     Inspired by an original story written by SarahShalomDavid
1. Chapter 1

The rooftop where Kate was shot

The sky was clear blue, and the sun shone in the sky, as Kate lay bleeding upon the floor.

Ari had shot her, in her head, she had taken one bullet for Gibbs and now she had taken another.

She had loved him more than anything in the world.

As she fell, Gibbs caught her, and laid her down gently, picking up the letter that had fallen out of her jacket pocket as she fell.

He cradled her dead body to him as kissed her forehead and opened the letter; he too had loved her but never had the courage.

He read the letter with his true love in his arms, her body cold and limp rests in his arms.

"_Dear Jethro,_

_You're probably wondering why I wrote this letter to you, I write it because I don't have the courage to tell you in person. _

_To tell you, that I love you with all my heart and soul, and I will never ever give up on the hope that you might feel the same way._

_I know you say that romance between agents never works but I have loved you since I met you on airforce one._

_When you pushed me into the toilets on board, I hoped to god that you would kiss me, because I fell in love with you._

_Know that you mean the world to me, and you're the only man I ever truly loved with all my heart._

_My heart is forever yours, I love you_

_Yours, forever and always,_

_Katie"_

Tears slid down his face, as he held her to him tightly.

The paramedics ran up the stairs but, it was too late.

This conversation takes place four hours after Kate was shot. It takes place in Gibbs mind between him-self and the now deceased Caitlin Todd.

Sitting alone in his basement; with a mason jar in one hand and the bottle of bourbon in the other hand he pours himself another mason jar full of bourbon finishing off the bottle itself. Jethro thinks to himself _"Kate, why, why didn't you tell me?"_

Caitlin's disembodied voice tells him _"__Because you created rule 12" silly boy_

In a moment of weakness he starts to feel sorry for himself as he thinks "_I could have suspended it!"_

In a drunken rage Gibbs throws the bottle of bourbon against the basement wall as he hears Caitlin's voice telling him _"But you didn't, and now you have nothing to drink!"_

Jethro thinks _"But I loved you, Kate!" _

Caitlin's disembodied voice reminds him _"You never said anything Jethro!"_

Thinking to him-self; _"I know, and I will have to live with that regret!" _

Caitlin's disembodied voice tells him _"Don't spend the rest of your life morning over me, the way you did Shannon Jethro!"_

Jethro thinks _"But Kate."_

Caitlin smacks him off the back of his head _"But nothing Marine!"_

Jethro clumsily plays with small box covered black velvet thinking _"I was going to give you this, Kate!"_

Inside the box is a simple yet elegant ring note reads "To Kate the next/final Mrs. L.J. Gibbs!"

Jethro thinks to himself _"Now, I guess I will leave it at your grave."_

Caitlin's disembodied voice tells him _"__I would have said yes Jethro!"_ as a tear streams down her check

Gibbs jogs up the stairs to get ready to go to Kate's funeral!

It was one hour later at the grave of Caitlin "Kate" Todd

The entire team is gathered round the site Jethro tells them "You guys go ahead I will be along in a moment!

Gibbs kneels down and opens the small box then places it and the note on the gravestone, taking two fingers he puts them to his lips then places them on the gravestone saying "Goodbye Kate" as he sheds a tear and walks away.


	2. Chapter 2

Three Days Later

Ducky, DR. Mallard who usually gives Jethro a verbal briefing of all his autopsy's reports the mortuary, in a move out of character even for him made his way up to the bullpen from to Gibbs in person telling him "let's go to an unused conference room for privacy!" As Jethro follows Ducky as they enter the first unused conference room they find! Ducky tells him "have a seat Jethro!" As soon as Ducky is sure they are alone he tells him "I have my final autopsy report Jethro!"

Jethro tells Ducky "Spit it out?"

Ducky asks "was Kate dating anyone? "

"Yea Duck, Jethro tells him, "Her and me.., I was going to ask her to marry me!"

Ducky looks at the fool saying "Then I am sorry to have to tell you this, but at the time of her death she was eight weeks pregnant!"

Turning to leave Jethro tells him "Thanks Duck!" as the Gibbs the normally stoic NCIS Agent sheds a tear as he walks out to the NCIS Bullpen to sit at his seat

Tony watches him as he passes but his desk. Walking over to Ziva's desk he asks her "Am I dreaming or is Gibbs crying?"

Ziva tells him "No Tony you are not dreaming he is crying!"

Getting up from his desk Jethro heads to the elevator as the doors close he hits the "Stop Button" as he falls backward his back hitting the back wall of the elevator he slides down the wall in a heap. His head falls into his hands as he starts sobbing uncontrollably

DR. Mallard tells the younger agents "I am afraid I had to give him some bad news!"

Tony asks "What was that?"

DR. Mallard tells him "It seems Tony, as if he and Kate were dating!"

"Kate was going to have his child!"

Ziva states to the group "Not an easy thing to hear!"

Tony asks her "How do you know that Ziva?"

Cupping his check in a lover's embrace Ziva tells tony "Someday I will answer that question for you , but not today Tony!"


	3. Chapter 3

Six months later Tony and Ziva share some well deserved down time and a bottle of red wine in his apartment taking a sip from his glass Tony grumbles "six months ago you said you would answer my question Ziva... I am still waiting!"

In a moment of weakness, Ziva puts down her glass deciding to give him a glimpse of her private pain leaning into Tony whispering "I lost a child once Tony... but unlike Gibbs mine was taken after she was born...!" "For all I know I could pass her in the street and never know it she would be about 20 years old now!"

Tony does some quick math in his head nearly chocking on the wine as the answer races to the forefront of his mind "That would mean you were-!"

Swirling her wine in her glass she tell Tony "I was 17 when I gave birth...!" "The Father was I U.S. Marine during the first gulf war Tony!"

"Did you ever find him...?" "The father...!" He asked her.

Ziva looked at Tony saying, "Up until I started to liaison between Mossad and NCIS... all I had was his first name!"

"What was the name Ziva?" Tony asked her.

Ziva could see the gears turning in Tony's mind, "My job Tony was to extract him, get him back you safe territory!" "Before I tell you his name let me tell you the whole story...Tony!" Taking a gulp of wine to bolster her courage and in hopes of avoiding telling the story at all Ziva looked over the rim of the wine glass at Tony she sets the glass aside telling Tony at last "We were captured behind the lines and being held prisoner... Posing as ingauged soon to be married couple... The leader of the cell wanted proof ...!"

She watched as Tony eyebrow slowly rose to an arch!

Argh... Ziva groans in frustration telling him, "It was nothing like that Tony she told him..." "We made love with had guns to our heads... the place was hit by bombs one to many times it was dirty, and anything but romantic!"

"So what was his name Ziva?" Tony asked her in a soft voice.

She takes another sip of her wine to try to avoid his question "He told me his name was Leroy...!" "Happy?"

Sipping his wine Tony says, "No..., come on Ziva... give!"

Chuckling Ziva looks at him saying, "Not knowing is killing you!"

"Leroy who Ziva...?" Asked Tony

"Leroy Jethro Something" Ziva told him.

Going slack sawed Tony sat in silence complealy stuned by her revilation before saying, "No..., No..., no... That's not fair... the boss man himself," Tony muttered.

"As I told you I didn't know that until I was assigned to NCIS!" Ziva told Tony "I only knew him as Leroy!"

"Does he-?" Tony asked Ziva.

Ziva cut him off saying "No, definatly not!" Subconcously she starts rubbing the area of her bluose where she wairs a locket containing a tuft of hair and a tiny photo of a 7 year old child!

Opening the locket, she showed Tony the inside saying "This is all I have of her Tony!" Showing Tony the photo and the lock hair. Tony asks, "Have you ever thought of asking Abby to run a DNA traice?"

"Only a million times and chickened out just as many!" Ziva tells Tony. "Afraid of what you might find?" Tony asked.

"Tony she said if I do find her... how do I tell him...? How do I tell her?" Ziva said in frustration.

Tony givs her a sideways glance "Come on Sweet Cheeks!" grabbing her by the hand he pulls her up.

"Tony... where are we going?" asked Ziva him

"We are going to see a lady about a test!" Tony told her! "No arguments Ziva!"


	4. Chapter 4

**An hour later in the depths of NCIS, Tony Drags Ziva into Abby's lab, looking from Ziva to Tony Abby stated, "What's up with the Mysterious phone call Tony?" Putting her hands on her hips Abby looked at the two of them with a suspisous eye. **

**The normally confident Ziva looks at Tony the expression on her face says, "Are you sure about this?" "Go on Ziva!" Tony tells her, he places a hand on her shoulder a silent signal saying "We got this covered"**

**Turning to face Abby Ziva tells her "I need you to run these hairs against the missing Childs DNA data base!"**

"**O-Ok" says Abby with a raised eyebrow but "I will need to know who to run it against!"**

**Furrowing her brow out of frustration Ziva fidgeted screaming "Argh" she pauses in silence before saying, "Mine...!" "OK." Her normally calm brown eyes were now seathing with raw emotion as she glared at Tony asking "Happy now!"**

**Abby's jaw drops, as she is stunned into silence. The expression on Abbys face said "How, When, Who!"**

"**I had a daughter Abby she was taken from me the day of her seventh birthday!"**

**Recovering from the shock of Ziva's admission and regaining her ability to speak "You've been hlding out-?" asks Abby.**

**Cut off by Ziva response she tells Abby "Use Gibbs as a paternal DNA!" **

**The expressions on Abby's face said tell me everything!**

"**Not now Abby please, I promise I will explain later...!" Her words trailed off as she reached into her bag, Pulls out a larger version of the photo from the locket "can you use this...?" "She was seven years old!" **

**Abby takes the photo telling Ziva "I will start an age progression on it! "It shouldn't take too long!"**

**Ziva frowns asking "DNA takes a week?" **

"**Yea, sorry Ziva!" Says Abby.**

"**Ziva you need to tell him!" Abby said.**

"**Tell him who...?" Came, his smooth voice of Gibbs himself!**

**Ziva spun round looking at him saying, "Gibbs we need to talk privately!" "It has to do with a young marine sniper and an Israeli woman getting him to safety." **

"**Yea," said Gibbs "she made sure I made it back!" "Whats wrong with right here?"**

"**No Gibbs" Ziva told him I made sure you made it back!" All the emoins start flooding back to the forfront of her memories as Ziva asks, "You do recall what we did at gunpoint...?" "Gibbs!"**

"**Of course Ziva we-!" says Gibbs **

**Tony chimed in with "You better take a seat for this one boss!"**

"**Tony?" asked Gibbs what's going on here.**

**Ziva cut him off telling him "Nine months later I had a daughter Gibbs...!" Her shoulders slump forward "Someone took her from me!" she said in monotone voice her face completly void of all expression**

**With pursed lips Gibbs replies, "I have a twenty year old daughter out there somewhere?"**

**Reading his body laguage and to her surprise Gibbs is not angry with her for keeping the secret all these years**

**Yes Gibbs her name is "Antonina...!" "I am having Abby run my DNA" against the only thing I have of hers a tuft of hair!" she tells him turning away from Gibbs in an effort to hide what she thinks she can't let anyone see tears start rolling down her face before she realizes what she is doing Ziva is in Abby's office alone sobbing.**

**Taking a moment to absorb what Ziva has told her Gibbs hold out his hand saying "Abby give me a suringe, and a Swab!" Because Abby was not moving, fast enough for his taste Gibbs barked "Now Abby!" **

**Walking over to Abby's work area Gibbs puts the spent DNA swab and Suringe in Abby's waiting hands. Having composed herself Ziva returns a few moments later to watch Gibbs hand "The Evedence to Abby" on his way back out the door he stops standing before Ziva telling her "You didn't have to suffer in silence alone!" **

"**Guys!" Abbby bellowed. Picking her next words carfully, Abby continues, "The tests aren't going to run any faster with you glaring at the machine" Pointing at the door Abby says "Shoo, I will call you when they come back." **


	5. Chapter 5

One week later a man dressed in casual attire walks into the bullpen and streigt up to the desk of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Looking up from his report Gibbs asks, "Can I help you?"

The fair-haired man standing six feet tall replies, "My name is Josephson!" Showing Gibbs his credentials, he said, "I work for, (NCS), I have to ask you to stop investigating my agent!"

Gibbs looked at the man on the opposite side of his desk saying, "We don't have any active investigations involving "The National Clandestine Service"

Tapping away on his smart phone the man known only as Josephson replied, "You did authorize a DNA trace five days ago..., did you not?"

"Yes!" Gibbs exclaimed, "We are trying to find a missing person!" he said sitting back in his chair.

"Whose child?" asked Josephson abriptly not taking his eyes off Gibbs!

Walking up behind Giibs Ziva said "Mine..., I have been looking for her for twenty years!"

You Are...?

Ziva looked at him speculativly saying "You already know or you would not ask me that Agent Josephson... I'll play along... my name is Ziva David"

Turning to look at Ziva, Josephson said, "You are risking my asset... Miss David!"

"Really...!" Said Ziva sarcastically taking out her cell phone she said "Shalom Papa" Ziva said something in Hebrew followed by the name Josephson and "The National Clandestine Service."

Josephson turned back to Gibbs asking him, "Who is she talking to!"

Giving Josephson a country boy down home smile Gibbs said "Her Father!" Josephson looked at Gibbs confused saying, "I fail to see how that will help! A little amused by his answer Gibbs informed Josephson "You don't know her father... he is head of Mossad!"

Josephson's face went white as a sheet just as his phone rang. What followed was a series of "Yes sirs and No sirs lasting about 5 minutes. Josephson hangs up; he addresses Gibbs once again saying, "Apparently your Agent knows people in high places Gibbs!"

Chuckling Gibbs asks him "Have any kids Agent Josephson...?"

"No!" Josephson Muttered "but why should that matter!"

"Josephson!" Gibbs said. Filing the paperwork in his desk, Gibbs told him, "Rule number one about survival in the jungle... never get between a mother and its young!"

Finally realizing his mistake Josephson starts to say, "I just-" Only to be cut off by Gibbs saying "Uh-huh!"

Josephson said "Your daughter will be here in 30 minutes... Miss David... I must ask that where ever you meet no servalince"

30 minutes later in the morgue of NCIS Ziva nervously paces back and forth across the room awaiting the daughter taken from her 13 years ago per Agent Josephson's request all security and surveillance so there is no record of the meeting. The doors glide open and in steps a woman who if it were not for her blue eyes could pass for Ziva herself. Both women stared at one another it was like looking in a mirror, but it was Ziva who broke the awkward silence calling out "Antonina!" In the silence of the examination room the name softly echoed off the walls. "Antonina...!" Called Ziva again "its mama"

Ziva heard her daughter's voice for the first time in 13 years telling her "We almost met in Morocco you were unconsous at the time... you needed a transfusion"

Ziva's eyes widened in shock as she said "They told me it came from an anonomus doner...!"

"Yea..." said Antonina "it was the only way my handeler would let me help you"

"Antonina" called Ziva "Do you remember what I said we would do on your 8th birthday?"

Antonina searched her memorys for the last conversation she had with her mother before their lives were coever changed by the 13 year seporation "You told me were would find my father... together" Antonina told Ziva

"Wait just one moment Antonina" Ziva told her as she called out softly "Gibbs... you can come out now!"

A five foot eleven inch tall man with salt and pepper colored hair came walking out of Dr Mallared office, his footfalls barly noticible to the untrained ear but they caught Antonina's attention as she watched him walk tward Ziva

"Antonina..." Said Ziva "gesturing with her hand to Gibbs "This is Leroy Jethro Gibbs... your father"

As Antonina walked forward hesatanly she told Ziva "I wasen't taken mom... I followed a cat because I wanted to play with it... When I came back you were gone"

Gibbs looked at Antonina as just a hint of a tear welled up on the corner of his eye telling her "Your here now that's what's important"

"The aid workers who found me adopted me as thier daughter so I took their name to honor them its Delacruz... I've lived in Arlington, Virginia for 13 years"

Stunned into silence Ziva Muttred "I've been living 10 minutes away from you... for seven years...!"

"Ziva..." Said Gibbs "You worked black Ops for Mossad... you know how dangerous is is to contact family"

"Gibbs it's just-"

Antonina walked into their embrace saying "So close and yet so far"

"As much as I hate to brake up this family reunon... Antonina we have to go!" Josephson Said.

As her voice broke Ziva called out "Josephson... take care of our daughter"

"Or what...!" Josephson asked Ziva.

"Josephson... when I worked for Mossad... I was part of a very specail unit... it was originally formed to hunt down and kill Nazi's after the war... finding you should be easy" Ziva told him

Josephson looked at Gibbs expecting him to call her off however Gibbs told him "I would take that to heart... Ziva does not make idol threats"

"Antonina" called Ziva "One last thing" Ziva pulled Antonina aside so she was out of ear shot of both Gibbs and Josephson and whispered something to her before Antonina heads out the door.


End file.
